Knitting machine



Oct. 15, 1935. H. H. HOLMES El AL 2,017,718 I KNITTING MACHINE FiledNpv. 11, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1v an"? 1% JJ e I 7; INVENTORS Oct. 15,1935. H HOLMES ET AL 2,017,718

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 11, 1932 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 15, 1935. HH, HOLMES r AL 2,017,718

KNITTING MACHINE Filed NOV. 11, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 3,4 M 3.1%.. M

Patented Oct. 15, 1935 KNITTING MACHINE company Application November 11,1932, Serial No. 642,254 In Great Britain December 2, 1931 12 Claims.

It is specifically directed to an improvement in or modification of thatone of the Wale-thread draw-ofi means which according to the said priorspecification is employed to draw off from each warp-thread supply andprior to the forma- 0 tion of a needle loop, a length of warp-threadsufficient for that loop.

In copending application Ser. No. 559,314 there is described and claimedin general terms a construction in which this thread draw-01f device isautomatically adjusted in conformity with an adjustment in the length ofthe loop of the ground-thread stitches. In other words, when theloop-size of the ground-fabric is to be changed (for example, is to bedecreased as the knitting proceeds from the calf of the leg towards theheel in hose or half-hose) the action of the thread draw-off device iscorrespondingly changed so that the knitted Wale-thread loops may bemaintained in desired conformity with the loops of the ground-threadknitting.

According to the present invention, a walethread draw-off device of thekind above described is combined with means for relatively adjusting thethread-release portion of said device and the stitch cam in thedirection of knitting, and controlling the return to normalrelationship. The purpose of this adjustment is that the release of theWale-thread drawn by the said device is timed to commence either before,at or after the corresponding needle has commenced to descend thestitch-cam.

The release portion of the draw-01f device is to be understood as thatportion of it that is encountered by the Wale-threads following thepoint of the draw-oil device having the maximum effect in drawing thethread from its bobbin prior to stitch formation.

Conveniently, the Wale-thread drawing device is bodily adjustablerelatively to the stitch-cam and in the application of the invention toa circular machine the Wale-thread drawing device is angularlyadjustable about the axis of the needle-cylinder relatively to thestitch-cam and accompanies the latter in itsrelative movement withrespect to the needles.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood a preferredexample will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawingsin which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of those parts of a knitting machinenecessary for ing of the invention,

Figure 2 on an enlarged scale shows part of the driving mechanism forthe thread-drawing device together with the control means therefor,

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the thread- 1 drawing device showingthe relation of the release portion of the device to the actuation ofthe needles by the stitch-cam,

Figure 6 illustrates a detail of the mechanism,

Figure 7 illustrates a mechanism, which in it- 1 self does notconstitute part of the present invention, by which stitch lengthadjustment can be obtained,

Figure 8 is a plan of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figure7, and

Figure 9, on an enlarged scale, is a view looking from the right ofFigure 7 showing not only part of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 7but also part of the adjusting means illustrated in Figure 3.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In the present example there is preferably provided an automaticloop-size adjusting control device for the ground-thread stitches. Thereis also provided a control-drum or equivalent device actuated in unisonwith that for controlling the ground-thread stitches and having anoperative connection with the Wale-thread drawing device wherebyadjustment of the latter will be automatically controlled in conformitywith the control of the ground-thread. In the drawings the control-drumfor the thread-drawing device is indicated at it and this device may bethe same as that employed for adjusting loop-size of the ground-threadstitches. Alternatively, it may be an independent control-drumco-operativelyconnected to the control for the ground-thread stitch byany preferred means.

the understand- It is to be understood that the device for ad- 45justing the loop size of the ground-thread stitches is of well knownform and as such has no part in the present invention. Following knownpractice, it may constitute a drum such as it), see Figures 7 and 9, onwhich there is a snail cam Hi). The cylinder IH has at its lower end camprojections H2 co-operating with cam projections H3 on a rotary plateH4. The plate is situated beneath the needle-cylinder and movement ofthe plate is controlled from the snail cam III) through a follower I I5,a bellcrank pivoted at I I6 having one arm III engaged with the camfollower I I5 and the other arm IIS connected by a link HQ with a crankI26 projecting laterally from plate II4. Thus as the snail cam isrotated in an anti-clockwise direction as seen in Figure 9 theneedle-cylinder will be elevated and the stitch length correspondinglyshortened because by moving the needle-cylinder relatively to the needlecams (not illustrated) the throw of the cams will, as is well known, belessened.

The snail cam H and its connection with the needle-cylinder I II and theactuation of the cylinder for stitch length adjustment comprises a knownmeans which of itself constitutes no part of the present invention butis described in detail herein in order to establish a full disclosure ofthe mechanism in its relation to the means to be described below foradjusting the action of the thread drawing device. In the illustrationof Figure 2, the snail cam I I8 and its connections with theneedle-cylinder have been omitted for sake of clearness. Moreover,although it in no wise alters the invention, the snail cam II is shownat the opposite side of drum II) from that in Figure 7.

Whether the control drum III for the threaddrawing device be the same asthat for the stitch length adjustment or whether it be a separate deviceit is preferred that the construction shall follow the form of a drumsuch as III having on it a snail-cam I I (see Figure 3). The cam iscoupled through a cam-follower I2 with one end of a Bowden wire I3. Thecam-follower I2 is conveniently situated at the middle of a lever I4that is pivoted at one end at I5 to a. fixed part of the mechanism andat its other end is attached to the end of the Bowden I3, or any otherequivalent flexible member.

The other end of the Bowden wire or its equivalent is led to a positionon the feeder-head where it can control in any preferred manner theangular position of the Wale-thread drawing device in relation to thestitch-cam. For this purpose the following arrangement of parts isemployed.

From the main driving shaft it of the machine a connection is takenthrough gears I7 and I8 to a vertical shaft I9 and from that shaftthrough gears 23 and 2| to a horizontal shaft 22 terminating in abevel-gear 23. This gear meshes with another bevel-gear 24 arranged inthe feederhead and formed integral with a lower sleeve-like extension 25which is restrained, in any preferred manner, from axial displacementalong the spindle 2B. As will be seen by reference to Figures 2 and 6,the sleeve 25 is supported on a thrust bearing I25 that is secured inposition on the stationary shaft 28 by means of a split nut I26 that canbe clamped in position by clamping screws I21. The sleeve 25 istherefore constrained by its mating gear 23 (Figure 2) from movingupwardly on the shaft 28 and is prevented from moving downwardly bymeans of the thrust bearing I25. In this way the sleeve 25 isconstrained against axial movement in either direction on the shaft 28.In the skirt at the lower end of the sleeve 25 there are formeddiametrically-opposed recesses one of which is indicated at 25. Eachrecess has an inclined wedge surface 27 for a purpose to be describedbelow. The gear 24 and the sleeve 25 are mounted to rotate on thespindle 28 which supports the Wale-thread feeder-head 29. In thedrawings no Wale-thread feeders are shown in the head.

Mounted below and coaxially with the sleeve extension 25 is a secondsleeve 30 which is coupled with the dial cam-disc 3| of the Wale-threadfeeder-head so as to be capable of axial movement but incapable ofrelative angular movement in relation to the cam disc. This coupling inthe 5 example shown is constituted by downwardly-extending jaws 32 onthe sleeve 36 which engage fiat sides on the projection 33 which entersbe tween the jaws and constitutes a boss by which the dial-cam disc iscarried.

The sleeve 39 at its upper end has diametrically-opposed projections 34each of which has a substantially vertical face 35 terminating at theupper part in a radius 36 which engages one of the inclined or wedgesurfaces 27 on the firstnamed sleeve-like extension 25. The bevel-gear24 drives the sleeve 3|] by engagement between the inclined surfaces 2'!and the projections 34. It will be obvious that any axial adjustment ofthe sleeve 38 in relation to the sleeve 25 will result in angulardisplacement between them.

Assuming that the mechanism is applied to a stationary needle-cylindermachine the bevelgear 24 will rotate synchronously with the main cam-boxfor the knitting elements and hence the inclined or wedge surfaces ofthe sleeve-like extension 25 always maintain a fixed relationship withthe main cam-box. Accordingly, by shifting the second sleeve in an axialdirection the angular relation between the dial-cam disc 3! 30 and thestitch-cam in the main cam-box can be altered. Consequently, therelation between the Wale-thread drawing device 3'! which is in the formof a cam carried from the cam-disc M, in relation to the stitch-cam canalso be altered or adjusted from time to time.

The axial sliding movement ofthe sleeve 30 is obtained by the followingmeans:

A peripheral groove 38 in the sleeve 30 is engaged by a forked finger 39which is attached to 40 a rod 68 guided in bearings II on an outercasing surrounding the sleeve soas to slide in a direction parallel withthe axis of the latter. The rod 43 is attached to one end of the Bowdenwire I3 or equivalent mechanism and this wire is conveniently traineddown the frame of the machine and at outer end is attached to oneextremity of the lever I4 as above described.

The cam-follower I2 is engaged by the snailcam I I or other form of camthat may be found so desirable which cam may be given a slow continuousmovement or an intermittent movement. The movement of this cam iscontrolled by its iving mechanism to adjust the axial position of theabove sleeve 30 relatively to the sleeve-like 65 extension 25 tocorrespond with the alteration in the loop-size of the ground thread.

The dial-cam disc has two or more supports 42 by which a. ring 43 iscarried above the disc 3i and the cam 3'! is mounted on the ring 43.

By reference to Figure 5 the release portion of the cam 31 is thatindicated between chainlines extending between the cam and theneedlehead 44 immediately below it. The shape of the cam 31 is such thatby a curved portion 45 the Wale-threads are first drawn off from thebobbin and, after the position of maximum throw of the cam rise,indicated at 46 in Figure 5, has been reached by an individualWale-thread such as that indicated by the chain-lines 4'1, the latter iscomparatively rapidly released along the reverse slope 48 of the cam. Byrelatively adjusting this cam angularly in relation to that portion ofthe stitch-cam down which the needles are drawn for loop formation (i.e. the portion which moves the needle-head down along the sloping linesindicated by the heads of the needles shown) the release of the drawnoil length of Wale-thread can be timed in relation to the loop-drawingoperation of the needles so that a greater or lesser amount of tensionis maintained in the walethread in accordance with the changes intension of the ground-thread loops.

When the tension is increased by adjusting cam to retard the release ofthe warp-threads the tendency will be for the needles to draw less yarninto knitted loops because when the loop size is lessened by themechanism illustrated in Figures 7 to 9 the release portion does notpermit so much of the drawn oif yarn to pass to the needles as when alarger loop is being formed. In the latter event the angular position ofthe cam 5 is adjusted to release the warp-threads earlier and this iseffected by adjusting the release portion 46 in the direction of thearrow in Figure 5.

The change in the angular position of the dial cam disc consequent uponthe adjustment of the draw 01f cam 37 is not of sufii-cient magnitude toaffect in any way the wrapping operation resulting frcrn the action ofthe dial on the warp-thread feeders in the Wale-thread feeder head.Practice has shown that the effective relationship of the feedermovement for wrapping and the associated needle movement is unimpairedby the small change incident upon the alteration of the ground-threadloop size.

The foregoing is a description of a preferred example of the inventionapplied to a circular lmitting machine, but it is to be understood thatthe invention is not limited to the precise details thereof. Moreoverthe invention is not limited in its application to circular knittingmachines as adjustment of the thread draw-off device relatively to thestitch cam can be similarly effected in a straight or fiat framemachine.

We claim:

1. In a knitting machine having a stitch-cam, means for supplying aground-thread and means to supply Wale-threads to the needles, thecombination of means to adjust the loop size of the knittedground-thread, a thread draw-off device serving to draw off from eachwarp-thread supply and prior to the formation of a needle loop a lengthof warp-thread sufficient for that loop, a thread-release partassociated with the drawoff device and relatively adjustable withrespect to the stitch-cam in the direction of knitting, and a controlmember actuated in conformity with the means for controlling theground-thread loop size and having an operative connection with thethread-release part whereby adjustment of the latter is automaticallycontrolled in conformity with the control of the loop size of theground-thread.

2. In a knitting machine having a stitch-cam and means to supplyWale-threads to the needles, the combination of a thread draw-off membercomprising a cam surface including a thread-release portion which camsurface is to be brought seriatim into engagement with the Wale-threadto draw off from each warp-thread supply prior to the formation ofaneedle loop a length of warp-thread sufiicient for that loop, and meansfor relatively adjusting the thread-release portion of the said camsurface and the stitch-cam in the direction of knitting.

3. In a circular knitting machine having a circular row of needles, astitch-cam, and means to supply Wale-threads to the needles, thecombination of a thread draw-off member comprising a cam surfaceincluding a thread-re-'- lease portion, which cam surface is to bebrought seriatim into contact with the warp-threads to draw off fromeach warp-thread supply prior to the formation of a needle loop a lengthof warpment so that the drawoff member and the stitch-cam accompany oneanother in relative movement between them and the needles.

4. In a circular knitting machine having a stitch-cam and means tosupply Wale-threads to the needles the combination of a thread draw-offdevice having a thread-release portion and serving to draw off from eachwarp-thread supply and prior to the formation of a needle loop a lengthof warp-thread sufficient for that loop, and means for relativelyadjusting the thread-release portion of the draw-off device and thestitch-cam in the direction of knitting, said adjusting means comprisinga gear member rotated synchronously with the main drive of the machineand having a cam surface inclined with respect. to the axis of rotation,and a second rotatable member which has a portion which is held inengagement with the cam surface, is adjustable in its position ofengagement thereon and is coupled in fixed driving relation with thethread draw-off member.

5. In a knitting machine the combination according to claim 4 having afeeder-head and a carrier for the thread draw-off device in whichcombination the gear member, the second rotatable member, thefeeder-head and the carrier are coaxial with one another and the secondrotatable member has a splined or equivalent driving connection with thecarrier enabling it to be axially adjusted relatively to the' gearmemberwithout disengaging it from the carrier.

6. In a knitting machine the combination according to claim 4 having aslow-motion advancing device the action of which corresponds with theaction of a ground-thread loop-size control, in which combination thegear member, the second rotatable member, the feederhead,

and a carrier for the thread draw-off device are coaxial with oneanother, the second rotatable member has a sliding but non-rotatabledriving connection with the carrier enabling it to be axially adjustablerelatively to the gear member without disengaging it from the carrier,and a flexible actuator operatively connects the said second rotatablemember with the slow-motion device.

7. In a circular knitting machine the combination of a circular row ofneedles, a stitch-cam, means to supply wale-threads to the needles, athread draw-01f device comprising a plate having a cam surface to bebrought seriatim into engagement with the Wale-threads the said camsurface terminating in a thread-release portion, means adjustablycoupling the thread draw-off device and the stitch cam so that the twoare relatively rotatable in company with one another with respect to theneedles, means to-supplya ground-thread to the needles, means to adjustthe loop size of the ground-thread as it is taken by the needles, andmeans coupling the groundthread loop size adjuster with the threaddrawoff device said means comprising a driving element rotatable aboutthe axis of the machine and having a driving surface inclined withreengagement between the latter and the inclined driving surfacelengthwise along that surface, and means coupling the said driven memberwith the thread draw-off member.

8. In a circular knitting machine the combination of a circular row ofneedles, a stitchcam, means to supply Wale-threads to the needles, aWale-thread draw-01f plate having a cam surface tobe brought seriatiminto engagement with the Wale-threads, the said surface having athread-release portion at one end a main drive to impart movement to thestitchcam about the axis of the machine, and a carrier coaxial with themachine for supporting the thread draw-off plate, the said carriercomprising a rotatable driven member and a driving member rotatedsynchonously with the stitchcam, the said driving member having adriving surface inclined with respect to the axis of rotation, and meansto adjust the driven member axially with respect to the driving member.

9 In a circular knitting machine the combination of a circular row ofneedles, a stitch-cam, means to supply Wale-threads to the needles,means to supply a ground-thread to the needles, means to adjust the loopsize of the groundthread stitches, a spindle situated above and coaxialwith the needle-cylinder, a carrier for the thread draw-off memberrotatably mounted on said spindle, a driving member also rotatable aboutsaid .axis having a driving surface inclinedwith respect to the axis, adriven member which is also rotatable about said axis which has a partto engage said inclined surface and is also coupled to the carrier forthe thread draw-off-memher, a member displaceable by the ground-threadloop size adjusting means and a coupling between that member and thedriven member for the thread draw-01f device whereby movement of thedisplaceable member will raise or lower the driven member in thedirection of the axis about which it rotates.

10. In a knitting machine having a bed of needles, a stitch cam, andmeans to supply walethreads individually to a plurality of needles, thecombination of Wale-thread draw-01f means operative to draw from eachWale-thread supply, and prior to actuation of a needle to form a loop, alength of Wale-thread sufiiclent for the loop to be made by that needle,and means to adjust the timing of the release of each walethread by thedraw-off means in relation to the position of engagement of itsassociated needle with the stitch cam.

11. In a knitting machine having a bed 01 needles, a stitch cam, andmeans to supply walethreads individually to a plurality of needles, thecombination of Wale-thread draw-off means which by engagement with theWale-threads draws off from each Wale-thread supply, and prior to theactuation of a needle to form a loop, a length of Wale-thread sufiicientfor the loop to be made by that needle, the said drawoff means beingrelatively movable with respect to the Wale-threads in the sense inwhich the stitch cam and the needles are relatively movable, and meansfor relatively adjusting the draw-off device with respect to the stitchcam whereby the position at which the individual Wale-threads arereleased from the draw-off device is adjusted relatively to the positionof en gagement of the associated needles with the stitch cam.

12. In a knitting machine having a bed 01' needles, a stitch cam, andmeans to supply walethreads individually to .a plurality of needles, thecombination of Wale-thread draw-off means to engage the Wale-threads andto draw from each Wale-thread supply, and prior to the actuation of aneedle to form .a loop, a length of Wale-thread sufficient for the loopto be made by that needle, the said draw-01f means being relativelymovable with respect to the walethreads in the sense in which the stitchcam and needles are relatively movable and having a thread-release part,and means to adjust the position of the said thread-release partrelatively to the stitch cam in order to adjust the timing of therelease of each Wale-thread in relation to the position of engagement ofits associated needle with the stitch cam.

HENRY HAROLD HOLMES.

ROBERT HAROLD ROBINSON.

